Hanging up his coat and hat, the Reverend affixed a smile when he heard his wife speaking with someone in the dining room but that smile quickly folded in surprise when he recognized the stranger from his church seated at the head of the table, set for three.
“Welcome home, dear, I want you to meet Josiah, whom I have invited to have dinner with us- and to stay in the guest room for a while.”
The reverend’s mouth was agape as the stranger, his eyes shining warmly, spoke. “It is true Christian spirit, Reverend, to break bread with me and to offer a bed to me, a poor traveling preacher.”
Before the Reverend could respond, his wife Mary cheerfully reported that Josiah was willing to lead the congregation while they went on a long overdue vacation, and wasn’t this a godsend, she marveled, a traveling preacher?
The Reverend swallowed the rest of the wine from his wife’s cup before sitting heavily in an uncustomary seat beside her at the table as the traveling preacher planned aloud his first sermon, to be based, he said, on a quote attributed to Jimi Hendrix, ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace’.
This six sentence story written for Unchartered Life under the Radar cue word “spirit” is a third, beginning with “Passing”, then “Showing Up“.
Excellent use of the six sentences.
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Thank you, I try to spend them wisely. I appreciate the thrift and economy that flash instills.
Thank you for coming by.
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Very well told, i can feel the undercurrent at the table that you’ve built up.
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Oh, good. This minister has been bedeviled by this stranger. Thank you for coming by and commenting.
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Preacher’s kid here, you had me at the first line.
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Hi, thanks for coming by. So, as a preacher’s kid you know version 2 of ‘agape’:
agape 2 |äˈgäˌpā, ˈagəpī|
nounChristian Theology
Christian love, especially as distinct from erotic love or emotional affection.
• a communal meal in token of Christian fellowship, as held by early Christians in commemoration of the Last Supper.
I’ve been having fun with this preacher.
You and the six sentence gang might have fun with the Flash Rodeo at Carrot Ranch all this month, in particular the Little Laugh event. Check it out :
https://carrotranch.com/2017/10/10/flash-fiction-rodeo-contest-2/
No entry fees, cash prize, and fun.
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Wise words indeed, but leave him in charge? Not so sure!
Click to read my Six!
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Oh, I think he was born to be in charge. Though the Reverend may yet have regrets.
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Really well done you can feel the tension in the room. I’m not very great at all the description myself. And lately my six have just been real quick little ones. But I really admire a good story this was well done. Thanks for sticking with the six sentence stories. Ivy
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Thank You for coming by. And thank You for offering a prompt every week. I enjoy your prompts and the group of participants.
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Oh, my! I hope they have a house left when they come back home!
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They need to put their house in order. It’s all good.
Thanks for coming by.
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I hope this story continues. You do a great job writing deeply with few words. Why is it the husband can not see the traveling preacher for who he is? What made the wife so quick to accept? Do I have “eyes to see” and “ears to hear”?
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You are better versed, as it were, than I, and get the points I meant to make. Better still, your questions may prompt more story of these characters. Thank you for the feedback.
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I was unable to leave a comment at your site, but did go by and enjoyed your true story of things working out the way they are meant to.
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very nicely (continued) tale. engaging characters, (any mention of Jimi Hendrix totals earns my attention) and the story comes across with a powerful yet totally understated tone of familiarity. what is they say down at the bait ‘n tackle store? “casual elegance,that there story theres got a casual elegance.”
enjoy your writing, yo
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Yo, thanks, Brothers Clarkscottroger. Here’s one for you:
You might have fun with the Flash Rodeo at Carrot Ranch all this month, in particular the Little Laugh event. Check it out, it is up your alley:
https://carrotranch.com/2017/10/10/flash-fiction-rodeo-contest-2/
No entry fees, cash prize, and fun.
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Love this – definite uncertainty in the room.
Also love how you used agape here and how it also touches on the “love feast” theme just a bit. Cool.
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Appreciated. Yep, something is going down at this supper table.
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in a jam?
agape
the door ajar
no lid on privacy
when the in-laws stayed
and became outlaws… for their impositions,
unreasonable expectations and demands – they became fish.
JP/dh ~ Jules
(The reference to fish for those who may not know is that in an advice column, I once read
that guests become like fish after three days…they stink.)
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It’s possible this guy can do a lot with a few fish and a loaf or two.
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Just an observation… Some preachers seem to be very fond of,… um being in charge. And resent even those brethren who might be enlightening seeing them as competition instead of ‘light’.
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Jules, this story started with a six sentence story called “Passing”, then “Showing Up”, which adds a bit more to this six sentence story. Click on those, if you want to read more.
Also, are you a dog freak? Because I picked up a little book at the dump today called Dog-Ku and thought it might need to be sent to you. Haiku written by dogs, about dogs.
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I thought you blog was going to be about agape instead of agape! It ended up being about both Agape, unconditional love and the preacher with mouth agape as his wife brings home a stranger…. an act of agape love!
Dwight
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Yep. I am glad you found this and liked it. It started with one called “Passing” then I kept at some of the ideas. Thank you for the reads and the follow. I’ll be sure to check out you stuff soon.
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